— good news that comes from action alerts, not the alerts themselves;
— good news that comes from the actions of groups, not requests to participate or donate to them;
— good news that comes from the application of information, not the info itself;
— good news about help for the Earth directly, rather than helping people (although, of course, since we are all cells in Earth’s body, any good news for humans is good news for the Earth).

July 15, 2015, http://us1.campaign-archive1.com | “‘I want to tell you, and I want to be very clear: I humbly ask your forgiveness, not only for the offenses committed by the Church herself, but also for the crimes committed against the native peoples during the so-called conquest of America.'”

Robert Brothers

Pope Francis asks forgiveness from indiginous people of Latin America for the suffering the church had caused during the “conquest of the Americas.”

September 16, 2012, www.treehugger.com | “From the dawn of history, and in cultures throughout the world, humans have been prone to imbue Earth’s life-giving rivers with qualities of life itself — a fitting tribute, no doubt, to the wellsprings upon which our past (and present) civilizations so heavily rely. But while modern thought has come to regard these essential waterways more clinically over the centuries, that might all be changing once again. Meet the Whanganui. You might call it a river, but in the eyes of the law, it has the standings of a person.”

September 16, 2015, www.regenerationinternational.org | “Ireland leads the way in developing a national strategy that allows for sustainable agricultural intensification while, at the same time, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, according to Aidan O’Driscoll, Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture. ‘Last October saw the EU make a landmark decision in adopting many of these principles,’ he said.”

September 16, 2015, news.mongabay.com | “The Norwegian government has fulfilled its billion dollar commitment to Brazil for the South American country’s success in reducing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. In a statement issued Wednesday, Norway announced it would complete payment to Brazil’s Amazon Fund by the end of the year. Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Tine Sundtoft commended Brazil’s progress and said it has become a model for efforts to combat climate change.”

September 16, 2015, news.mongabay.com | “Brazil’s rate of deforestation has declined dramatically over the past decade, an undeniable boon for wildlife, forest-dependent communities and the global climate.Now researchers at the University of Leeds have concluded that Brazil’s efforts to reduce deforestation have also saved lives — as many as 1,700 every year, attributable to improved air quality.”

September 15, 2015, www.takepart.com | “The world’s most abundant source of energy is solar—the sun shines everywhere—and most of that potential power falls on the ocean. Now, a Hawaii-based company has built the world’s largest power plant to harvest that energy from the ocean and convert it into electricity. The 105-kilowatt ocean thermal energy conversion demonstration plant went online last month in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. It cost about $5 million to build and only generates enough electricity to power 120 homes. But the project is a big step toward a future where ocean thermal energy could replace carbon-spewing fossil fuel power plants.”

September 15, 2025, www.theguardian.com | “Every political class considers themselves inclusive, diverse, open-minded. But present ideas that stray outside the boundaries of sanctioned debate, imposed by power and a patrolling press, and watch how quickly they stoop to bullying. Consider the response to the Leap Manifesto, a declaration released this week by an unprecedented coalition of Canadian authors, artists, national leaders and activists in the midst of a federal election. It lays out a vision – bolder than anything on offer from political parties – to transition the country off fossil fuels while simultaneously improving the lives of most Canadians. Climate change is presented not just as an existential crisis but an opportunity – indeed, imperative – to make the political and economic system more just and fair.”

September 15 , 2015, news.mongabay.com | “Highly anticipated data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows that global forest loss has slowed significantly over the past five years relative to the 1990s and 2000s. The report, released Monday at the World Forestry Congress in Durban, is based on data provided to FAO by 234 countries and territories. Unlike other recent analyses, the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 relies primarily on self-reported data, rather than satellite data, providing a different view on trends in forest cover and management.”

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), a report published every five years. FRA is based primarily on self-reported data from countries and territories.

September 14, 2015, blog.therainforestsite.com | “The City of Los Angeles has released 96 million black plastic balls into its reservoirs in an effort to protect the remaining potable water during one of the worst droughts on record. The polyethylene balls, which are 4 inches in diameter, float on the surface of the water and cast shade below, reducing losses from evaporation. According to the Washington Post, the project is expected to reduce water loss by around 300 million gallons a year.”

September 14, 2015, 5gyres.org | “5 Gyres sat with the president of ASIPLA, the Chilean version of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the company Cambiaso, the largest plastic bag recycler in South America to hear how they want to frame the National Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill. We heard familiar arguments about waste management and recycling and opposition to product bans. The big questions is: is the role of brand manufacturers to get their stuff back.”